DOINews: NPS-Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site: Tuskegee Airmen Honored with New Stamp

	The U.S. Postal Service stamp honoring African American aviator C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson is dedicated at a ceremony at Tuskee Airmen National Historic Site on April 16, 2014. (From left: William A. Campbell, judge; Timothy Costello, U.S. Postal Service Alabama district manager; Charles Anderson Jr. and son; Deanna Mitchell, site manager; Sandra L. Taylor, superintendent.) Photo by NPS.
	Tuskegee National Historic site is sharing this image of the stamp honoring C. Alfred Anderson on its Facebook page here.

The 15th stamp in the U.S. Postal Service's Distinguished American Series, which honors pioneering African American aviator C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson, was dedicated at a ceremony at Hangar 2 on Moton Field at Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site on Tuesday, April 16.

The first day of issuance stamp ceremony took place on March 13 in Anderson's hometown of Bryn Mawr, Pa., and it was fitting to continue the commemoration with a ceremony at Moton Field.

Anderson (1907 – 1996) holds a special place with extraordinary connection to Moton Field and Tuskegee, Ala. He was personally selected by G.L. Washington, manager of Moton Field, to serve as the chief civilian flight instructor for its new program. As chief flight instructor at Tuskegee, he supervised primary flight training for 1,000 African American pilots.

Anderson's love of aviation was contagious. He introduced many youth to the art of flight and is credited for creating the second generation of Tuskegee Airmen. Over the past two years, nearly 100 visitors to the park have shared fond memories of Anderson and recount how he taught them to fly while growing up in Tuskegee.

Judge William A. Campbell was the keynote speaker with remarks from Superintendent Sandra L. Taylor, Site Manager Deanna Mitchell, U.S. Postal Service Alabama District Manager Timothy Costello, Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford and Tuskegee Postmaster Elaine Taylor.

Honored guests included the Anderson family and actor Keith David. Other attendees included Macon County Commissioner Maxwell, Tuskegee City Council members and manager, the president and executive director of the Friends for Tuskegee Airmen NHS Inc., and visitors.

The first class 70 cent stamp is designed for mail additional-ounce rate.

By: Patricia A. Butts, public information officer, NPS

April 23, 2014

A version of this story appears in the April 23 edition of InsideNPS.